STORM Bert is expected to bring up to 15 inches of snow, 70km/h winds and showers this weekend while an amber warning has been issued.
As arctic conditions persist across the UK, wintry weather will continue to batter the country as the storm arrives, the Met Office said.
6
Snow at Doddiscombsleigh in the Teign Valley on the edge of Dartmoor, Devon todayCredit: Alamy
6
Drivers struggle for grip as heavy snow falls on the A35 in Askerswell, DorsetCredit: ©Graham Hunt
6
Snow blankets the village of Lockton in North Yorkshire this morningCredit: LNP
6
The Met Office has issued several yellow and amber warnings
A yellow warning was put in place across much of Scotland this afternoon until 10am on Saturday, with the possibility of power cuts and “possible” injuries on icy surfaces.
While yellow warnings, including for rain, are in effect from today until Sunday evening.
In a full statement, the Met Office said: “Storm Bert has been named and is forecast to bring heavy rain, strong winds and disruptive snow to parts of the UK over the weekend.”
The second named storm of the season will gradually descend on the UK tomorrow before heading east.
On Saturday, Storm Bert will bring heavy snow, 60-70 mph wind gusts to some areas and heavy rain to western parts of the country.
It follows days of sub-zero temperatures that forced schools to close their doors and commuters faced travel chaos on roads and rail.
Scorching temperatures and icy conditions led to warnings that vehicles could be stranded, power cuts could occur and rural areas could be cut off.
Yellow warnings mean frequent snowfall, possible hail and ice.
Warnings cover much of northern and western Scotland until midday, with the Met Office warning of severe travel conditions.
Between 2 and 5 cm (up to 2 inches) of snow is expected widely, and could reach 10 cm in some parts of the northwest mainland, the Met Office warned.
Britons face ANOTHER day of snowy chaos with schools closed and drivers stranded in -11C
Higher ground sees 15 to 20 cm (up to 7.8 inches), it adds.
The Met Office warning reads: “Keep yourself and your family safe when there is ice.
“Plan to leave the house at least five minutes earlier than normal to reduce the risk of accidents, slips and falls. If you’re walking, try to use sidewalks along major roads that are likely to be less slippery.
“Similarly, if you’re cycling, try to stick to main roads that are more likely to have been treated.”
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Office issued a new wave of weather warnings.
The national forecaster has issued a yellow warning covering 16 regions in Britain, from Orkney and Shetland to south-east England.
The warnings are in effect for a total of 24 hours in different parts of the country, starting at noon today and lasting until 12 noon on Friday.
Not all areas are affected for the whole 24 hours, but the Scottish Highlands will be worst hit by the flurry of wintry weather.
Parts of south-west England, including Plymouth and Exeter, were also given a yellow warning for snow between 5am and 3pm on Thursday, with 5cm to 10cm predicted in higher parts of Dartmoor.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said: “A northerly air flow will continue to bring snow showers to Scotland over the next few days, with occasional lower levels bringing potential travel disruption.
“Overnight temperatures will drop below freezing quite widely over the next few days, resulting in some ice warnings, with further warnings likely throughout this week.
“Thursday, a mix of snow, sleet and rain is likely to affect the south-west which could potentially bring disruption. Snow is likely at higher elevations in the area, with a mix of conditions likely at lower levels. 2-5cm of snow is possible in places at lower levels, with around 10cm possible over the higher parts of Dartmoor.”
UK weather forecast for 5 days
Today
Thursday will be frosty and possibly icy for most, with sunshine and wintry showers in areas exposed to northwesterly winds.
Cloudier in the southwest with scattered rain and snow on the hills. Quite airy.
Tonight
Wintry and windy showers continue in the north of the UK, but drier with clear skies further south and widespread frost developing further away from the coasts.
Friday
Another frost and icy start to Friday with sunshine and wintry showers continuing in exposed areas. Showers and wind gradually weaken during the afternoon.
from Saturday to Monday
It will be wet and windy on Saturday, with some snow on the hills early on and showers on Sunday and Monday. It will be milder on Saturday and Sunday, but colder again on Monday.
Met Office meteorologist Clare Nasir said there would be clearer skies outside the warning area across the country on Thursday morning and afternoon
But she added that a “hard frost” was also likely before “very cold” temperatures on Thursday night.
It comes after new yellow rain warnings were also issued from Saturday to Sunday morning in south-west England and Wales.
The two warnings are in effect from Saturday at 6 a.m. and expire at 6 a.m. Sunday.
A yellow warning was already in place on Saturday for heavy snow followed by a “rapid thaw” and rain on Saturday night across north-east and north-west England, the West Midlands, Yorkshire and much of Scotland.
TRAVEL DISORDER
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said: “An air flow from the north will continue to bring snow to Scotland over the next few days, with occasional lower levels bringing potential travel disruption.
“Overnight temperatures will drop below freezing quite widely over the next few days, resulting in some ice warnings, with further warnings likely throughout this week.
“Thursday, the southwest will likely be affected by a mix of snow, sleet and rain which could potentially bring disruption.
“Snow is likely on higher ground in the area, with a mix of conditions likely at lower levels. 2-5cm of snow is possible in places at lower levels, with around 10cm possible over higher parts of Dartmoor.”
Commuters can expect more travel chaos with National Rail warning of four days of disruption as heavy snow is expected to continue to fall over the weekend.
A deluge is expected on Saturday, followed by a rapid thaw and rain in north-east and north-west England, the West Midlands, Yorkshire and much of Scotland.
A yellow warning for rain and snow has been issued from 4 a.m. Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday, with the possibility of life-threatening flooding.
“For many this will feel like a first taste of winter, with the risk of snow and ice on top,” Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said.
More than 100 schools or nurseries were closed in Scotland on Wednesday due to the weather, with 52 closed in the Highland Council area, 51 in Aberdeenshire, 11 in Moray and two in Shetland.
6
Drivers struggle for grip as heavy snow falls on the A35 in Askerswell, DorsetCredit: ©Graham Hunt
6
The white stuff has hit the UK in recent daysCredit: ©Graham Hunt
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education